REACTION! PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022

[@EntertheBook]

So many books coming out all the time- amazing we actually hear or read about any of them even.

[@Shellyish]

So true! Thanks, Kristen!

[@jorgem71962]

Hi Shelly, I DNF "Monkey Boy. I was bored out of my mind. "Palmares" is great. I have a copy of "The Netanyahus" but have not read it yet. It is great to know that your husbands family is Portuguese and that you have visited my birth country. I would love to chat more about it.

[@Shellyish]

Jorge, Okay, I'll skip Monkey Boy and keep Palmares on my mental TBR. I will certainly email you about my Portuguese ties. Lisbon is one of my favorite places in the world.

[@rondastothers472]

So many of these winners are only must read list. Just cause your choices didn’t win doesn’t mean the others are not amazing. Jones was never not writing during those years. Writers never stop writing.

[@Shellyish]

Thanks, Ronda. I appreciate the sentiment! :)

[@sandra7319.]

Netanyahu pronounced like the former Leader of Israel.

[@Shellyish]

Thank you, Sandra!

[@amyofhearthridge]

Huh. I’ve heard of ZERO of these. 😆 However, I rarely read new things. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ll be curious to hear what you think if you end up reading the Netanyahus.

[@Shellyish]

You and me both! All new-to-me titles.

[@SheriMaple]

I have the book Palmares. I read her first book, Corregidora first published in 1975 and Toni Morrison was the editor. In addition, you have to think about what slavery looked like in 17th Century Brazil which people tend to think about the peculiar institution in the U.S. context and not elsewhere.

[@Shellyish]

Thanks for letting me know, Sheri! Very helpful!

[@spreadbookjoy]

I admire your efforts to predict and this was a wonderful reaction video. You have actually become one of my top sources for literary prize info as I just don’t seek the information out for myself! I like the sound of all the winning books, but particularly Palamares.

[@Shellyish]

Thanks, Jack! A high compliment! Thank you so much! ❤️

[@againstinterpretation]

I had heard of Joshua Cohen, but I really thought Crossroads was going to win, and I'm a little disappointed it didn't win. I really hadn't heard too much about any of these books. Interesting!

[@Shellyish]

You and me both. I thought Crossroads was a strong contender. Have you heard good things about Cohen?!

[@jorgem71962]

@@Shellyish Hi Shelly, I read Crossroads and did not find it a great read. He took 30% of the book to set the stage and nothing of real interest happened until about 80% into the book. I was not surprise that it did not win.

[@RKStumblingbear]

A podcast that I listened to last year called Suave also won a pulitzer. And I immediately thought of you since I watched your book video the other day. Just wanted to share.

[@Shellyish]

Awe! Thank you for sharing!!!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Great reaction video, Shelly. Always interesting when books make the list or win when we’ve never heard of them. The Pulitzer is definitely an interesting one to follow. 😊💙

[@Shellyish]

I completely agree about The Pulitzer. It's SO much fun to follow. :)

[@AJDunnReads]

The Pulitzer has a KZbin channel. They read out the titles if that helps. I think _The Netanyahus_ sounds good.

[@Shellyish]

I watched the livestream announcement, but found Cohen’s title tricky.

[@AJDunnReads]

@@Shellyish Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician. I wonder if the family in this book is related to him.

[@christinacampbellbooks]

Really enjoyed watching this. I hadn't even heard of any of these books! ☺

[@Shellyish]

Thank you, Christina!

[@GemofBooks]

What are these books?!? I hadn’t heard of any of these! 😂 Palmeres sounds like my kind of book though, so might give that one a whirl.

[@Shellyish]

Seriously though, WHAT ARE THESE BOOKS! 🤣

[@CestKevvie]

Ooh I'd never heard of Gayl Jones but she sounds fascinating, definitely going to check out Palmares and her other book Corregidora

[@Shellyish]

They both sound incredible! Please let me know if you like them!

[@cristinamontoya1042]

I heard of monkey boy and palmarés tbr list

[@Shellyish]

Wow! Good things?!

[@RKStumblingbear]

I have not heard of any of these novels. But that's not surprising. I'm more of a genre reader with science fiction and fantasy being what I read the most of. So, I was more familiar with the nominees for the Nebulas and the Hugos.

[@Shellyish]

Wonderful! When are the Nebulas and Hugos? I picked up Becky Chambers as who won a Hugo, I believe. ☺️

[@RKStumblingbear]

@@Shellyish The Nebula winners will be announced this month in May (next weekend actually). And the Hugos winners will be announced in September. Both short lists are out.

[@sonjadevenney2524]

Never heard of these three. Will look forward to your reviews for any of them you read.

[@Shellyish]

Thanks, Sonja!!!

[@aliciareadsinbr]

I’m never heard of any of them either, LOL! But that only makes me want to read them now.

[@Shellyish]

Right!!! Ha!

[@MsReadsAlot]

I had only read the biographies.. the rest of the books were a mystery! Nice reaction

[@Shellyish]

Same!!! I was like, “Oh, a few recognizable titles.”

[@MariTheAmateur]

I enjoyed this reaction video and am also scrambling for a copy of The Netanyahus…. Don’t be hard on yourself; this prize is always the most challenging to predict 🌸✨

[@Shellyish]

You're right! This is one of the hardest prizes to predict. :)

[@andeeheartsbooks7447]

None of these were on my radar.

[@Shellyish]

Glad I wasn’t the only one.

[@MichaelFinocchiaro]

Great review, thanks. I read the winner - it was down at #16 on my list of about 50 candidates - and thought it was good, but not extraordinary. Interesting to note, Cohen is only the 5th Jewish man to win the prize (after Chabon in 20001 and the holy trinity of Bellow, Malamud, and Roth) and not any Jewish or Latina women. I was rooting for Lincoln Highway and The Five Wounds personally.

[@Shellyish]

Michael, I'm shocked you've already read the winner! Thank you for sharing about Cohen's background. Fascinating!

[@LaurieInTexas]

Your shocked reaction was pretty much my own except I had never heard of any of the books. I have heard of Gayl Jones and have her book Mosquito on my tbr but I didn't know about this new book. I'll be honest that the winner doesn't interest me when I think about the description. We'll see if I change my mind after more people read it. I am interested in Palmares though.

[@Shellyish]

Laurie, ha! Thank you! Palmares does sound good! The winner interested me with the word “comedic.”

[@annegibson6072]

I have read Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City. It is an amazing book. I have never heard of any of the Fiction books. I also read the History winner Covered with Night. I am interested in early United States history so I found it amazing.

[@Shellyish]

Wonderful! I must check out Invisible Child! I had read The Doctors Blackwell (biography) and enjoyed it.

[@annegibson6072]

@@Shellyish I have not read The Doctors Blackwell.

[@GuiltyFeat]

I’ve read one of Cohen’s previous books and I’m actually going to hear him live next week at the International Writers’ Festival in Jerusalem which is serendipitous. Hoping to pick up a copy of The Netanyahus there and get him to sign it. I guess I could also pop round to the Netanyahus’ while I’m in Jerusalem and get one of them to sign it also, but I don’t think I’ll bother.

[@Shellyish]

Daniel, please show off on your channel if you do get your hands on a signed copy of The Netanyahus! What chance!

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

None of these novels were on my radar. Completely left field. A few years ago I was considering Book of Numbers, but nothing came of it.

[@Shellyish]

Left field! Yes!!! A little warning could've helped.

[@bouquinsbooks]

I have never heard of these novels. 🤔

[@Shellyish]

What do we know! We’re just readers. 😂